Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
